Information about microchipping your pet

One in three pets will get lost and without ID, 90% of those will not return home.  It is a distressing fact that the number one cause of pet death is getting lost.  Unfortunately, collars and tags can break, become lost or be removed.  At <?xml:namespace prefix = st1> Oak Grove Animal Hospital we recommend microchipping your pet so that in the event you are separated you will have an extensive recovery network to help reunite you back together again.

A microchip is a tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of sand, which is encoded with a unique identification number.  The microchip is placed under the skin in between the shoulder blades.  Once the chip is inserted, the pet is scanned to ensure that the chip is reading properly and the identification number is checked. It is now a permanent tamperproof method that cannot be lost or easily misread and is specific to your pet.

The procedure is fast, safe, and appears to be relatively pain-free in most pets.  The microchip can be implanted at any time that is convenient.  Ask one of our members of staff about the advantages of microchipping your pet during your next visit.

The microchip can be read with a microchip scanner, which detects the specific electronic code embedded in the chip, and displays the identification number on the scanner's screen.  Most veterinary offices, animal shelters and pet rescue organizations have scanners and they scan each lost pet on arrival for a microchip.  Click on the following link to read about a Family reunited with dog after 7 years.

Once your pet is microchipped, you will need to complete a registration form and pay a $17.99 registration fee which we will submit to HomeAgain on your behalf. If your pet is lost and recovered, this information will be used to reunite you with your pet so it is important that any contact information changes are updated with HomeAgain.  The registration fee also includes lost pet insurance up to $3000 for emergency treatment for injuries received while your pet is lost, pet ID cards, lost pet alerts and free access to the ASPCA poison control hotline (a $60 value).  This is renewable annually, however after the first year should you decide not to subscribe your contact information will still be kept on the HomeAgain database should you and your pet become separated but you will not receive all the additional benefits.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has been working with microchip providers and registries for the past year on the development of its Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool. The result is www.petmicrochiplookup.org which can link a pet's microchip by searching a database of multiple providers as opposed to checking one provider at a time.  Thus far the participants include The American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery, HomeAgain, ResQ, and PetLink.  Other company's, including AVID, have expressed interest